Fisheries law

The United States recognizes the right of Cyprus to develop the resources in its Exclusive Economic Zone, and discourages any actions or statements that provoke a rise in tensions in the region, a State Department official has said.

French President Emanuel Macron has told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he is worried about recent events off the coast of Cyprus, and called for "the need to respect Cyprus's sovereignty," a statement by his office said Monday.

It is well known that Turkey regards the concept of the EEZ as its most important enemy in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Moscow has expressed concern over escalating tension in the Eastern Mediterranean where the Turkish military has been obstructing a ship contracted by Italian company ENI from approaching an area inside Cyprus's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to explore for natural gas.

As Turkey continues its blockade off the southern coast of Cyprus, Nicosia has issued a Navtex reserving an area, including parts of Blocks 3 and 13 of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), for an exercise on Thursday afternoon with live ammunition, according to the island's  Phileleftheros news site.

Italy will send a frigate to the area off Cyprus island where Turkish military has been obstructing a vessel exploring for natural gas, according to a report in Italy's Republica online edition.

According to the report, the vessel, the Maestrale-class frigate Euro (F575) of the Italian Navy, is taking part in NATO's Sea Guardian maritime operation in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The ongoing decisions, coordination and closeness between Egypt and Cyprus and the maritime demarcation deal between the two countries have been raising concern in Turkey over the past few years, amid Ankara's tense relations with both Cairo and Nicosia, said Egyptian political experts.

Amid tension over hydrocarbon-related activity in Cyprus's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), retired Rear Admiral Cem Gurdeniz has warned the governments in Nicosia and Athens that their actions are "testing Turkey's patience."

"They believe that if Turkey backs down on this one, it will also back down on other issues," Gurdeniz was quoted as telling Turkey's Milliyet newspaper.

The EU will resist any renegotiation of fishing quotas in the seas around the UK for the proposed two-year transition period after Brexit, the Guardian has learned.

Nicosia will delineate the rest of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), including the north and western part, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said, calling on Greece to offer its "observations" as the Cypriot zones abut Greece's EEZ.